1996 United States House of Representatives elections

Source: Election Statistics – Office of the Clerk == Retiring incumbents ==

50 incumbents retired: 29 Democrats and 21 Republicans, giving the Republicans a net gain of six seats from the Democrats. Democrats Democratic hold • : Blanche Lincoln • : Ray Thornton • : Anthony Beilenson • : Pat Schroeder • : Pete Peterson • : Sam Gibbons • : Harry Johnston • : Cardiss Collins • : Andrew Jacobs Jr. • : Gerry Studds • : Robert Torricelli, to run for U.S. senator • : Charlie Rose • : Jack Reed, to run for U.S. senator • : Harold Ford Sr. • : Jim Chapman, to run for U.S. senator • : Charlie Wilson • : Kika de la Garza • : Ronald D. Coleman • : Lewis F. Payne Jr. Republican gain • : Glen Browder, to run for U.S. senator • : Tom Bevill • : Dick Durbin, to run for U.S. senator • : Cleo Fields • : Sonny Montgomery • : Pat Williams • : William K. Brewster • : Tim Johnson, to run for U.S. senator • : John Bryant, to run for U.S. senator • : Pete Geren Republicans Republican hold • : Tim Hutchinson, to run for U.S. senator • : Carlos Moorhead • : Wayne Allard, to run for U.S. senator • : John Myers • : Pat Roberts, to run for U.S. senator • : Sam Brownback, to run for U.S. senator • : Jan Meyers • : Mel Hancock • : Barbara Vucanovich • : Bill Zeliff, to run for governor • : Dick Zimmer, to run for U.S. senator • : Wes Cooley • : Bill Clinger • : Robert Smith Walker • : Jimmy Quillen • : Jack Fields • : Enid Greene Democratic gain • : Jim Ross Lightfoot, to run for U.S. senator • : Jimmy Hayes, to run for U.S. senator • : Steve Gunderson • : Toby Roth == Incumbents defeated ==

In primary elections Democrats • : Barbara-Rose Collins lost to Carolyn Kilpatrick, who later won the general election. Republicans • : Greg Laughlin lost to Ron Paul, who later won the general election. In the general elections 21 seats switched parties in the November elections, giving the Democrats a net gain of 15 seats from the Republicans. Democrats who lost to Republicans • : Mike Ward lost to Anne Northup. • : Harold Volkmer lost to Kenny Hulshof. • : Bill Orton lost to Chris Cannon. Republicans who lost to Democrats • : William P. Baker lost to Ellen Tauscher. • : Andrea Seastrand lost to Walter Capps. • : Bob Dornan lost to Loretta Sanchez. • : Gary Franks lost to James H. Maloney. • : Michael Patrick Flanagan lost to Rod Blagojevich. • : James B. Longley Jr. lost to Tom Allen. • : Peter I. Blute lost to Jim McGovern. • : Peter G. Torkildsen lost to John F. Tierney. • : Dick Chrysler lost to Debbie Stabenow. • : William J. Martini lost to Bill Pascrell. • : Dan Frisa lost to Carolyn McCarthy. • : David Funderburk lost to Bob Etheridge. • : Fred Heineman lost to David Price in a rematch of the 1994 election. • : Frank Cremeans lost to Ted Strickland. • : Martin Hoke lost to Dennis Kucinich. • : Jim Bunn lost to Darlene Hooley. • : Steve Stockman lost to Nick Lampson. • : Randy Tate lost to Adam Smith. == Closest races ==

Eighty races were decided by 10% or lower. == Alabama ==

With Republican Chip Pickering flipping the Democratic-held 3rd district, the Republican Party gained a majority in the state's U.S. House delegation for the first time since Reconstruction. This would not occur again until 2010. == Missouri ==

• Jo Ann Emerson was elected as a Republican in a special to serve the remaining months of the term and was elected as an Independent caucusing with Republicans due to Missouri state law. She later switched to the Republican Party a few days after the start of the new Congress. == Montana ==

, these were the last elections in which the Republican Party won a majority of congressional districts from Washington. == West Virginia ==